OSRS Food Per GP Ultimate Guide for Cost-Effective Healing

In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), choosing the right food can make or break your combat training, bossing, or skilling sessions. With a player-driven economy, food prices fluctuate, and balancing healing efficiency with cost is key. This guide dives into the best food options based on their gold pieces (GP) per hitpoint (HP) healed, helping you maximize your budget. Whether you’re a free-to-play (F2P) player, a pay-to-play (P2P) veteran, or an Ironman, we’ll cover cost-effective foods, their uses, and strategies to stretch your GP further.

Food in OSRS restores hitpoints, but not all foods are created equal. Some heal more per bite, while others are cheaper but less effective. The GP per HP metric helps you determine which foods offer the most healing for your gold, especially during prolonged activities like Slayer tasks or PvM. For Ironmen, accessibility matters just as much as cost, while F2P players need affordable options that don’t sacrifice too much healing power.

Key Factors in Choosing Food

• Healing Amount: Foods like sharks heal 20 HP, while tuna heals only 10 HP.
• Cost Efficiency: Cheaper foods like jugs of wine may offer better GP per HP.
• Availability: Ironmen need foods they can farm or cook themselves.
• Special Properties: Foods like karambwans allow combo eating for faster healing.

Best F2P Foods for GP Efficiency

Free-to-play players have fewer food options, but there are still cost-effective choices for combat and skilling. Below, we analyze the top F2P foods based on current Grand Exchange prices and their GP per HP.

Anchovy Pizza: Top F2P Healing

Anchovy pizza is the best F2P food, healing 18 HP (9 HP per bite) across two bites. Priced at around 300 GP, it offers excellent value at approximately 16.67 GP per HP. Its fast-eating mechanic (shorter eat delay on the first bite) makes it ideal for pseudo-combo eating, boosting survivability in tough fights like the Wilderness bosses.

How to Get It: Make it at 55 Cooking by combining anchovies with a plain pizza, or buy it from the Grand Exchange. Anchovies can be fished with a small net at spots like Catherby.

Jugs of Wine: Budget-Friendly Option

Jugs of wine heal 11 HP and cost as little as 4 GP, yielding an impressive 0.36 GP per HP. They’re a favorite for low-HP skillers or players training Ranged/Magic, but they temporarily lower Attack by 2, making them unsuitable for melee combat.

Tip: Stock up on jugs of wine for AFK training at low-level monsters, as their surplus from Cooking training keeps prices low.

Other F2P Options

• Lobster: Heals 12 HP, costs ~150 GP (~12.5 GP/HP). Decent for mid-level combat but less efficient than anchovy pizza.
• Swordfish: Heals 14 HP, costs ~250 GP (~17.86 GP/HP). Better for tougher fights but pricier.
• Tuna: Heals 10 HP, costs ~50 GP (5 GP/HP). Cheap but weak for high-damage scenarios.

Top P2P Foods for Cost Efficiency

P2P players have access to a wider variety of foods, including high-healing options and those with unique mechanics. Here’s a breakdown of the best P2P foods for GP per HP, tailored to different playstyles.

Karambwan: Combo Eating King

Cooked karambwan heals 18 HP and costs around 400 GP, resulting in ~22.22 GP per HP. Its standout feature is its ability to be combo-eaten instantly after another food (e.g., a shark), applying both healing effects in one tick. This makes it essential for high-level PvM and speedrunning.

Acquisition: Fish at 65 Fishing near the DKP fairy ring or buy from the Grand Exchange. Requires 30 Cooking and completion of Tai Bwo Wannai Trio to cook.

Tuna Potato: Cost-Effective High Healing

Tuna potatoes heal 22 HP and cost ~900 GP, offering ~40.91 GP per HP. They’re cheaper than other high-healing foods like sharks or anglerfish, making them a go-to for Slayer and bossing on a budget.

Crafting: Requires 68 Cooking. Combine a cooked tuna and corn bowl with a potato with butter. Ingredients are farmable or buyable, ideal for Ironmen.

Monkfish: Mid-Tier Staple

Monkfish heal 16 HP and cost ~400 GP (~25 GP/HP). They’re a solid middle ground for players who can’t afford karambwans or tuna potatoes but need more healing than lobsters.

Source: Fish at 62 Fishing in Piscatoris or purchase from the Grand Exchange. Cook at 62 Cooking with low burn rates at Hosidius ranges.

Other Notable P2P Foods

• Shark: Heals 20 HP, costs ~900 GP (~45 GP/HP). Popular but less cost-efficient than tuna potatoes.
• Anglerfish: Heals up to 22 HP (overheals above 93 HP), costs ~1,600 GP (~72.73 GP/HP). Great for raids but expensive.
• Potato with Cheese: Heals 16 HP, costs ~300 GP (~18.75 GP/HP). Cheap and easy to make at 47 Cooking.

Food Efficiency Table

Below is a table comparing key foods based on their healing, cost, and GP per HP, using approximate Grand Exchange prices as of April 2025. Prices may vary, so check the GE before buying in bulk.

Food	Healing (HP)	Cost (GP)	GP per HP	F2P/P2P
Jug of Wine	11	4	0.36	F2P
Anchovy Pizza	18	300	16.67	F2P
Lobster	12	150	12.5	F2P
Swordfish	14	250	17.86	F2P
Karambwan	18	400	22.22	P2P
Tuna Potato	22	900	40.91	P2P
Monkfish	16	400	25	P2P
Shark	20	900	45	P2P
Anglerfish	22	1,600	72.73	P2P

Strategies for Maximizing Food Efficiency

Beyond choosing the right food, smart strategies can help you get more healing for your GP. These tips are especially useful for Ironmen, budget players, and those tackling high-damage content.

Cooking Your Own Food

Cooking your own food saves GP, especially for Ironmen. Use Hosidius ranges (5-10% reduced burn rate) and Cooking Gauntlets to minimize burnt food. For example, cooking karambwans at 89 Cooking with the Elite Kourend Diary yields a 0% burn rate, maximizing profit and XP.

Pro Tip: Train Cooking at the Hosidius Mess Hall for up to 200,000 XP/hour making pineapple pizzas, which requires no external items—perfect for Ultimate Ironmen.

Combo Eating for PvM

Combo eating with karambwans can save your life in intense PvM scenarios. Pair a karambwan (18 HP) with a shark (20 HP) to heal 38 HP in one tick. This is critical for surviving high-damage bosses like Zulrah or Vorkath.

Farming and Gathering Ingredients

Ironmen can farm potatoes, cabbages, and onions from fields or use the Farming skill for ingredients like sweetcorn. Fishing spots like Piscatoris (monkfish) or Karambwanji spots (karambwans) provide sustainable food sources.

Using Fast Foods

Fast foods like anchovy pizza or karambwans have shorter eat delays, allowing quicker attacks or eating. This is vital for competitive PvP or speed-based challenges where every tick counts.

Conclusion: Balancing Cost and Healing

Choosing the best food per GP in OSRS depends on your goals, budget, and account type. F2P players should prioritize anchovy pizzas for high healing or jugs of wine for ultra-cheap options. P2P players benefit from karambwans for combo eating, tuna potatoes for cost-effective high healing, or monkfish for a balanced middle ground. Always check Grand Exchange prices before buying, and consider cooking or farming your own food to save GP. With these strategies, you’ll heal efficiently without breaking the bank, leaving more gold for gear, potions, or that elusive Twisted Bow.